Jim West is a multi-faceted quilt enthusiast who travels the world interacting with quilters where he goes. He is the founder of Sew Many Places and publisher of Quiltposium online magazine. He is one of the most sought after travel experts in North America and one who has traveled 76 countries around the world and explored all 7 continents! It has been a journey for Jim, who has promulgated many changes in the Quilters world. Jim had this to say on Facebook:

“ Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming – wow … what a ride!”

The Quilt Life has most graciously granted us permission to publish a copy of the article “Kwilting in Kenya” from its October 2011 issue. This article, written by our own Dena Dale Crain, features some of our finest quilts as it describes patchwork quilting amongst members of the Kenya Quilt Guild.

The article has members-only access until the magazine comes off the newsstands. To download the article, you must use the private password. If you are not a Kenya Quilt Guild Member, check back with us in November, when Kwilting in Kenya will be made public.

There all kinds of goodies for you to look at… 24 FREE downloadable patterns, lots of interesting articles, Aurifil’s Alex Veronelli EXPOSED in our centerfold, and dozens and dozens of brand new trips for you to look at.

Jim West, owner of Sew Many Places, has a free magazine called Quiltposium available online. Click on the link on the right titled Read the Magazine. It’s gorgeous, and deserves a thorough going-over. Be sure to look for the article written by our own Dena Crain on Quilting in Kenya!

On Thursday morning, January 20, 2011, the Kenya Quilt Guild received quiltmaking visitors from overseas, courtesy of Jim West’s Sew Many Places. Accompanying the 50 tour participants were quilting superstars Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, hosts of The Quilt Show amongst all their other many activities. What a great time we had!

The event was hosted in the East African Women’s League headquarters at WEAL House on Bishop’s Road in Nairobi. Our guests, who were lodged at the luxurious Nairobi Serena Hotel, arrived promptly at 10:00 a.m. Pulling up in three shiny new buses, the safari participants debarked and moved into the hall and auditorium of WEAL House where they were warmly welcomed by members of the Kenya Quilt Guild.

With the entire group assembled in the auditorium, a few small speeches were given. Margaret Odera, resplendent in full African dress, shouted “JAMBO! Karibu sana!” and issued a customary welcome to Kenya to our guests. Then, our Lady Chairman, Jasvinder Phull, greeted the visitors on behalf of the Kenya Quilt Guild. Gill Rebelo, our resident quilt and East African textile historian, spoke briefly about the history of the “Settler Tapestries” on permanent display in the hall.

Buses

Debarking

Alex Anderson

KQG Speakers

Alex and Ricky

Settler Tapestries

Bitings

Social

Admiration

Display

Organizers

Alex and Ricky jointly spoke about how delighted they were to be visiting Kenya, and about all the fun they have working with quilters from around the world. They presented all members of the Kenya Quilt Guild with a gift subscription to The Quilt Show. Our members were delighted!

In return, the Guild presented Alex with a lovely African necklace that we know she will enjoy wearing with great pride, and Ricky with a traditional African “finger piano.” What better gift for a talented musician and entertainer? Ricky promises he will be playing it on his next album! To Jim we presented a lovely ebony “mother and child” antelope sculpture.

The participants of the tour enjoyed proper Kenyan hospitality, taking tea and coffee with us and feasting from a table loaded with cakes, samosas and all kinds of other “bitings.” They wandered leisurely around the building, viewing a fabulous, although hastily hung early that morning, display of quilts made by our members. There were about 45 quilts on display, both indoors and outside, so there was good reason to keep moving about. The visitors introduced themselves and chatted with our members, and vice versa, and a truly good time was had by all!

The buses departed at about 12:00 p.m., and we were sorry to see the party break up as all good things must come to an end.

Thanks go to all those who loaned quilts for display, brought food to share, helped set up the space and quilt exhibition, and especially to Dena Crain, whose idea this reception was, for organizing it with Jim West.

We hope Jim’s safari tour group will enjoy the rest of their time in Kenya as much as we enjoyed entertaining them yesterday morning: “Safiri salaama!“

The hall is booked for the morning of January 20, the call has gone out for food, and today we will call for quilts to be put on display. These, along with the “Settler Tapesties”owned by the East African Women’s League and on permanent display already at the EAWL building, should give our guests plenty of “eye candy” to see.

Everyone is very excited!

Welcome to the Kenya Quilt Guild!

Find us based in Nairobi, Kenya, happily quilting away. If you're around, look us up. We're always happy to make new quilting friends!